>> this is "bbc world news america." >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newman's own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, united healthcare, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to know your business, offering specialized solutions and capital to help you meet your growth objectives. we offer expertise and tailored solutions for small businesses and major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now "bbc world news

america." >> this is "bbc world news america." the pakistani taliban tells the bbc a u.s. drone strike has killed its leader, one of the world's most wanted men. gunmen opening fire at los angeles national airport, killing a security agent and winning several others. and first moscow, now berlin, former american contractor edward snowden says he will help a u.s. -- a german investigation into u.s. surveillance programs. >> welcome to our viewers on public television in america and also around the globe.

a high-ranking taliban official says the leader of the taliban and pakistan has been killed in a u.s. drone strike. the missiles are said to have targeted his house and his car in the north, as a meeting was underway. others, including his brother, are also reported to have died in the attack. richard galpin is following developments from islamabad. i spoke with him just a short time ago. richard, what has been the reactions to the death? >> certainly amongst politicians here in islamabad, particularly the opposition, there has been real dismay about what has happened. some of them describing it as a deliberate attempt by the united states to try to sabotage the hopes of some kind of talks taking place between the pakistan government and the pakistan taliban to bring a cease-fire and hopefully some

kind of peace settlement between the two sides. indeed, we heard today that a delegation from the government was traveling to the north to meet the pakistan taliban for theip with talks peace negotiations underway quite soon. now, that has been dealt a very severe blow. we don't know how the pakistan taliban is going to react. if there are is any chance of the peace talks taking place. it is a serious setback. taliban hastani lost leaders to u.s. drone strike before. how much of a blow will this be? >> you are right, in fact, he took over in 2009 when his predecessor was killed in a drone strike. has happened before. you can assume that another leader will now emerge and will take control of your position. of course, we don't know whether

he will have the kind of ruthlessness and a grip over the hsud has had and whether the new leader will refresh the filing campaign that sud has pursued the past two years which has left thousands of pakistanis dead in suicide bombings, shootings right across the country. until we see that, i think we have to assume that this has been a very serious blow for the pakistan taliban. >> richard galpin from islamabad, thank you. former with the death means to horttaliban, i spoke a s while ago for the director at the national security council, who is now at the new america foundation. you follow this very closely. what do you think the mood will be in the white house now? is a significant

development for u.s. pakistan relations. whenever there is a strike against a pakistani taliban leader, i think it reflects increased cooperation between the united states and pakistan. this is a positive development, especially as the u.s. goes into 2014, which is going to be a critical year for pakistan and the united states in south asia. galpin said in islamabad, the opposition is accusing the u.s. of trying to sabotage these talks between the taliban and pakistan government with the strike. >> i'm not surprised by that. i think u.s. strikes against agostini taliban figures get the government -- against the taliban and figures give the islamabad government quiet cover over the close cooperation between the countries. typically they do not target asked any taliban, they focus on al qaeda. i think this reflects new working level relations between the two militaries. >> what do you think the timing means for the peace talks?

>> i think the peace talks were mostly only for show. the government in islamabad was going through these talks to show that it has adopted all diplomatic options. on the talks have failed, which they will, the government can say we tried all we could and now the military will have to go in and pursue more aggressive measures. >> what impact will the death of mehsud have on the pakistan m taliban? >> a creates a lot of disarray. there will be competition for power. at the same time, the objectives of the pakistani taliban will not go away. it will push for in and of drone strikes, they want the pakistani of there.ut those objectives have not changed. >> does it show how useful drones wrecks are for the u.s. and why the president will not give them up? >> i think at shows if coordinated and targeted and calibrated at the right pace,

they are useful, but they are not a sustainable tool for the long-term. >> thank you so much for joining us. back in the u.s., a security officer has been killed by a los angelese the international airport, one of the world's busiest hubs. several others were wounded and travel plans of several thousands across the globe are in chaos tonight. the gun man, armed with a semiautomatic rifle, opened fire inside the terminal. he was shot by the police before being taken into custody. johnny diamond has this report. sunny of nowhere on a morning at los angeles airport, gunshots. police, fire, and amulets vehicle swarmed the terminal buildings. one of the injured was taken to safety and treatment. airport, the police perched, weapons drawn, searching for gunmen. it was inside the airport's

third terminal that a man pulled out a semi automatic rifle and started firing towards passengers lining up to have their documents checked. >> i heard two gunshots. right then, i looked over to my friend and i said, let's run. >> three people were hit. one of them in airport security official, who was killed. the terminal was evacuated. passengers streaming out in search of safety. los angeles police say that shots were fired by their officers as the incident unfolded. >> the officers did not -- i repeat, they do not hesitate. they went after this individual and confronted this individual in our airport. involved any, it officer involved shooting, but that is what needed to be done in that situation. that was heroic. >> flights were diverted from the airport or held at the gates in los angeles as police

officers attempted to secure the sprawling site. for the latest, i'm joined by david willis, who is at los angeles international airport tonight. david, such a frightening incident. what is the mood there tonight? >> the big question here i think is how could a 23-year-old man shoot his way through a security checkpoint in what is one of the busiest airports in the world? now, this was a young man who this morning. he had a semiautomatic rifle with him and he shot his way through the security screening area, engaged swat team officers in a gunfight on the air side of the airport, and was eventually apprehended, but not before a 40-year-old screening official

was killed. several others were injured in all of that. the question of course tonight is, what motivated him to do this? there are reports that this young man had a hand written note in his possession, and he fouled in that note to kill transport security officials and members of the police. >> david, what is this going to mean for airport security? >> well, that's a very good question, and it is a matter of fact that you are not screened at airports like los angeles international airport until you basically get to the screening area. so it is possible for somebody to get into the airport carrying virtually anything they want to carry. that is almost certainly bound to change now, at least there will be calls for change in that

procedure because there is a lot of concern. this has long been seen as a potentially vulnerable place in l.a. this is a sprawling city with a critical mass of people. lax has long been considered a potential target. i think officials tonight will be breathing a huge sigh of relief this does not appear to have been a terrorist incident and that a relatively small loss of life has been involved. in los angeles, thank you. the german government wants to talk to the former u.s. intelligence contractor edward snowden to find out more about reports of the arcing of chancellor angela merkel's telephone. as comes on a day that a german mp has been talking about his meeting with edward snowden in moscow this week. he says that snowden is willing to help a german investigation. stephen evans reports from berlin. >> the german mp described his three-hour meeting with edward snowden in moscow.

wasfugitive, said the mp, relaxed and seemed healthy. he could go shopping. mr. snowden wants to explain how, as he sees it, the u.s. intelligence agencies broke the law. and mr. snowden is looking at how he might move from russia to germany. you can imagine traveling to germany, provided there is a guarantee he could stay here for another country -- or another country and be safe there. that means legally speaking, safe passage followed by asylum. visa to stay in russia expires next june. if it is not extended, the fugitive has a problem. if he leaves russia, the visa becomes invalid and he cannot return. in berlin, the american ambassador to germany has been saying that his embassy is not a nest of espionage, as some german media have labeled it. >> what we have on our rooftop

bar some electronic equipment. we like you, like the rooftop of this building i am in, or in the communication business. we communicate with other embassies around the world. we communicate back in washington. we have satellite dishes. we receive telecommunications and other kinds of key medications. and so i would not get too excited about these articles that there is all sorts of electronics in the embassy. >> edward snowden is extremely unlikely to attend whatever inquiry the bundestag sets up. some mps are treating him like a hero. the government says it is very interested in what information he has. it is clear that in this country, he is not public enemy number one, as he may be in parts of the united states. stephen evans, bbc news, berlin. >> the snowden saga continues. in other news, the police in

greece say that two men have been killed in a drive-by shooting outside of the offices of the golden door party. a third man was injured. a party spokesman said two victims were party members guarding the building. the attack comes weeks after the leader and several other senior party members were arrested on suspicion of forming a criminal organization. there was a vehicle fire and explosion in tandem and square. hastop security officials linked the east curtis tangoe movement to the attack, which killed five people in the center of beijing. in the hours afterwards, the authorities arrested five people thought to be members of the uighur muslim population. you are watching "bbc world news america." still to come, a group o reddish atheists who get together every sunday, religiously so to speak. atheistsp of reddish to get together every sunday, religiously so to speak.

today in the united states, about 57 million people on low income will have their food aid benefits reduced. was part of the stimulus package in 2009, during the recession, and it has ended. republican is argued the cuts did not go far enough. we thought we would break down the figures for you. ♪ i saved up until i buy

meat on sale. if they have marked things down and have not sold at that day. i put things in my freezer. >> we have individuals who are able-bodied people who have made a conscious decision not to help themselves. ♪

>> in a meeting with iraq's prime minister nouri al-maliki this afternoon, president obama says he wants the countries to be strong partners. with increased violence across iraq, there is a question that the united states is willing to offer greater assistance to secure the country. now maliki would like more military aid, including advisers to train security forces. for more on what the u.s. should do, i spoke with america's former ambassador to iraq a short time ago. should prime minister nouri al- maliki get the military aid he is asking for? >> he should, but with conditions. >> what should they be? >> you cannot win the battle by military and intelligence means alone. you have to have a political vision and political accountability. you have to go after not only those in other ranks who are terrorists but you have to go

after people in your own ranks in the government who are oppressing some of these people. >> a rax prime minister is blaming syria for this uptick in violence. is he right to do that or is a convenient? >> he is right to do that, but the middle east is a mess. struggling as is the rest of the region. people are still committed to raqi statemake this i work, and that is something that he can use an exploit to the benefit of everybody if he is willing to take that step. obama said there should be a new election law and iraqi. what should that be? >> there is a dispute right now and primee kurds minister nouri al-maliki and people in parliament over whether he should have elections by in the visual province, with winner take all per province, or country wide. so if kurds have 19%

countrywide, they will have 20% of the seats in parliament. that is a struggle. >> even if the prime minister invited more sunnis into the government, would that be taken seriously? >> i think so. the sunnis are split on whether to work with nouri al-maliki, joint out, or whether to extremist factions like al qaeda. the more he does and the more the parliament does and the more the shia and kurds due to bring in the sunni minority, what we have seen in the past is the more they will stand up against the terrorist. >> when you look at the enormous cost to the u.s., you know that better than anyone in terms of dollars, in terms of the region, in terms of u.s. lives, iraqi , is it similar to the 2003 invasion? >> i get this question a lot and i have a hard time answering it because i am personally involved as are many people that i am involved with and am personally

suffered. we have anorak today that is better than it was under saddam hussein. it will get a lot worse if we do not act. we can act with a lot less cost than what we have had to do until today. >> better than under saddam hussein with the sectarian violence? >> absolutely. saddam killed hundreds of thousands of people. there is nothing like that going on now, even with al qaeda. >> james jeffrey, thank you so much for joining us. staying in iraq, this is an image that few could forget from the war, a british soldier, his body in flames as he escaped his burning vehicle in 2005. what happened to him? after 100 hours on the operating table, he has taken up a new challenge, learning to fly. caroline wyatt went to meet him. >> the soldier is learning how

to fly. that is something he never thought he would be able to do eight years ago when he suffered terrible burns to his face and body serving in iraq. he was just 17 when he joined the army, 18 when he went on his first operational tour during the iraqi war. of those inside this warrior armored vehicle that was petrol bombed during a riot in basra in september 2005. to pull myself free. thanks to the professionalism of my colleagues, they got me to safety and save my life. soon after, i was put into an induced coma where i was asleep 10 days why had the major operations done. being only 18 years old, being severely injured, you think your life is over and there nothing more for you. for a time, it felt like that was the end. the more i wanted to get better, the more i denied the darkness

to take over and there were more opportunities there. i just wanted to -- i just had to want them. >> carl has aimed high ever since. run 100 marathons in two years to raise money for the hospital that saved his life. ater five years of treatment the hospital in birmingham and 16 operations on his wounds, carl is now firmly focused on his future. he is hoping the flying training he's doing here will qualify him for a commercial pilot license and a whole new career. the 26-year-old is one of a handful of wounded british troops to be chosen for flying scholarships, sponsored by rolling. -- sponsored by boeing. he hoped to get his private pilot's license. after that, the sky is the limit. >> i hope for a career in aviation. long as i'm flying, i will be

happy. iraq veteran. finally tonight, a story about a group in britain that meets in a church, even though they don't believe in god. the country's first nonreligious church says they are trying to find a different kind of spiritual bonding. they reckon they can draw together a congregation of disillusioned former believers, , and anybodyst searching for a sense of community. david gets went along to one of their services. ♪ church.are meeting in a they have a choir. they also have moments of quiet contemplation. they even have a collection. one thing they don't have, however, is any reference to god or religion. between tuesday and wednesday of next week. nes is theon joa

cofounder of the movement. he's a standup comedian by trade, so no surprise that his gatherings are struggled with humor. >> it does not mean you cannot have fun. we are changing the world, i think. >> that is a big change, a big claim, changing the world? 35.eah, we started out with imagine what could happen if 30% of the people in britain who are nonreligious and do not have a church. what happens if they get inspired to help each other and help in the community? ♪ classify yourself as an atheist, humanist, or some other? >> i don't think labels are helpful to think about things.

we celebrate the one thing we all have in common, and that is who we are in life. heso he is clear about why is here, but what about his first congregation in manchester? findthink it is nice to the goodness in people without having to use religion to do it. >> i'm just finding what it is about. of course, no vicar. nine you may be asking, there are a congregation that do not believe in god. they have no religious content. why choose a church for their inaugural meeting? apparently this was the only space available tonight. however, they say, it is not the building that matters, more what goes on inside of it. they still have tea and cake, just like church. find more on all the days news at our website, and thank you so much for watching "world news

america." >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation, newman's own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, union bank, and united healthcare. >> my customers can shop around, see who does good work and compare costs. it can also work that way with health care. with united healthcare, i get information on quality ratings of doctors, treatment options, and estimates for how much i'll pay. that helps me and my guys make informed decisions. i don't like guesses with my business and definitely not with our health. >> that's health in numbers. united healthcare. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard

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